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(Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sports

JDHS softball finishes Sitka Tournament

Crimson Bears go 3-3-1 on the road, now prepare to host.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin arrives at the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan during her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on Feb. 4 2022. Palin’s yearslong defamation case against The New York Times, potentially testing the extent of First Amendment protections for journalists, will soon go to trial in federal court in Manhattan.(Stephanie Keith/The New York Times)

News

Palin v. New York Times heads back to trial

The case centers on the former Alaska governor’s claim that an editorial published in 2017 defamed her.

Power remained on in downtown Juneau on Sunday night, while two damaged poles left much of the rest of the town in the dark. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Damaged power poles knocks out electricity to Valley, other northern parts of Juneau

Repairs to outage that occurred Sunday evening expected by midnight, ALE&P says.

The chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives are seen on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska House votes to cut proposed dividend, but huge deficit remains unresolved

Surpise vote with three Republicans absent drops proposed dividend to about $1,400 per recipient.

Rep. Sara Hannan (D-Juneau), left, confers with Rep. Alyse Galvin (I-Anchorage) during a break in a House floor session on March 10, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Juneau lawmaker’s bill allowing ‘snow classics’ as statewide charitable gaming activity passes House

Local Nordic ski club among groups hoping to use snowfall guessing contests as fundraisers.

Athletes from the Petersburg High School track and field team run sprints at Thunder Mountain Middle School on Saturday. The Vikings don’t have a true sized track and field facility and have made the trip to Juneau in past preseasons as well. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

No track, no problem for Petersburg Vikings

PHS track and field team hones skills at Thunder Mountain

U.S. Forest Service Juneau District Ranger Michael Downs and Barb Miranda, acting supervisor for the Tongass National Forest, answer questions at a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Tourism leaders in Juneau expect the unexpected for the 2025 visitor season

Impacts of tariffs and federal firings will be navigated this summer by both tourists and locals.

A sign seen on Wednesday advertises rental availability at an apartment building in Anchorage’s Turnagain neighborhood. Residential rental costs in Alaska are now on par with the national median, a change from the past, when Alaska was had the most expensive residental rental prices, state economists have found. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

News

In turnaround, median rental cost in Alaska is now down to the national median

Rental costs have risen nationwide, but the increases in Alaska have been slower than elsewhere.

The emergency cold-weather warming shelter is seen in Thane on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Warming shelter closes Tuesday, with staff highlighting its improvements this winter

A solution is needed for the summer as people using the shelter will return to dispersed camping.

Lucy Nieboer brings an audience member to the stage at the Crystal Saloon in Juneau Tuesday night for an imrpomptu speech about the Haines Pool. That was during the set of relevantly-named Keep the Pool Open (Will Steinfeld/Chilkat Valley News)

News

Musicians travel to Juneau to play for ‘Haines Night’ at 50th Folk Festival

Festival continues through Sunday at Centennial Hall and JACC, along with related music around downtown.

Workers install HESCO barriers along the Mendenhall River. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

News

Lawsuit by property owner seeks to ban CBJ from installing HESCO barriers

Plaintiff argues city didn’t get proper federal authorization; municipal attorney says claims are errant.

Workers begin to install an airport-style security system inside the front entrance of the Alaska State Capitol on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Installation of airport-style security system underway at Alaska State Capitol

Most visitors will need to pass through screening starting around April 21, officials say.

A school bus passes in front of the Alaska Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Alaska Legislature passes $1,000 per student funding boost, despite governor vowing to veto it

The Alaska Legislature on Friday passed a major increase to K-12 education funding, worth $1,000 in the state’s…

Jean Jackson made Gold Medal history in the 2025 Juneau Lions Club basketball tournament as the first woman inducted into the GMT Hall of Fame. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Jackson makes history as first woman player in Gold Medal tournament’s Hall of Fame

Klawock resident was star high school player and title-winnng coach; four-time Gold Medal MVP.

(Getty Images)

News

Alaska charges 10 American Samoans with voter misconduct, widening a legal dispute

Attorney defending one case said he’s prepared to defend Samoans’ right to vote under the U.S. Constitution.

Yakutat's Rose Fraker is presented with the Walter Soboleff Award at the 2025 Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament by Steve Brandner, a previous winner, and Lions Club president Tim Wilson. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Saving Yakutat one basket at a time

Rose Fraker honored for Walter Soboleff Award

Chum salmon are delivered to Alaska Glacier Seafoods on July 25, 2017. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)

News

Chinook harvest limits to be almost 40% lower than ‘24

Allocation is “the lowest chinook harvest limit on record” for Southeast, ADF&G official says.

Contractors continue work on the new SEARHC medical center on Japonski Island. The completion estimate has been pushed back to the spring of 2026. (James Poulson / Sitka Daily Sentinel)

News

Pent-up complaints heard by SEARHC during annual “listening session” in Sitka

Concerns voiced about faulty care, home health for elders, waits for service and hard-to-navigate system.

The planned restriction on phone services were expected to route more people to Social Security field offices as their staff levels were being cut. (Adriana Zehbrauskas / For The New York Times)

News

Social Security rolls back restrictions on filing for benefits by phone

Widely criticized plan would have limited Alaskans to filing online or in one of three major cities.

The Alaska State Senate meets Thursday, where a bill boosting per-student education funding by $1,000 was introduced on the floor. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Education bill with $1,000 BSA hike — and nothing else — gets to Senate floor; veto by Dunleavy expected

Senate president says action on lower per-student education funding increase likely if veto override fails.